Many fluid handling systems include a fluid reservoir that supplies fluid to a fluid dispensing (or ejection) device using conduits connected between the fluid reservoir and the fluid dispensing device. Such systems can be found in printers in the form of an ink reservoir connected to a print head, medical devices in the form of a fluid supply connected to a catheter, etc. The conduits are often connected to the fluid reservoir and the fluid dispensing device by conduit connectors or fittings respectively attached to the reservoir and the dispensing device. The connectors are attached to the reservoir and the dispensing device by welding, threading, or the like or are formed integrally with the reservoir and the dispensing device.
Connecting a connector to a conduit usually involves pressing the conduit over the connector so that the connector extends into an interior of the conduit and forcibly engages the interior of the conduit. However, such connections may occupy an undesirable amount of space, especially when connecting several tubes between the reservoir and dispensing device. For example, many color printers have a conduit for each ink color connected between a stationary multi-color ink reservoir and a print head that moves over a printable medium for disposing images thereon. Moreover, many printer manufacturers are decreasing the size of their printers, e.g., meaning smaller print heads and ink reservoirs, and increasing the number of ink colors, e.g., meaning more conduits and conduit connections.
For some applications, such as heat exchanger applications, conduits have been laser welded directly to a header or a reservoir. However, many of these applications do not account for the dynamic forces involved with a moving fluid dispensing device, such as a print head, connected to a stationary reservoir.